Reversible steam-turbine.



Nq. 892,304. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

J. PROGNER. REVERSIBLE STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION TILED APB.11, 1908.

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PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1908.

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PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

J. PROGNER.

REVERSIBLE STEAM TURBINE APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1908.

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IN WI? WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.-

J. PROGNBR. REVERSIBLE STEAM TURBINE.

APPL IOATION FILED APR. 11, 1908.

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WITNESSES A TTOFM/ E Y8.

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JAN PROCNER, OF PABIANIOE, NEAR LODZ, RUSSIA.

REVERSIBLE STEAM-TURBINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAN PROCNER, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing in Pabianice, near Lodz, Kingdom of Poland, and Empire of Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Steam-Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

Owing to the'well known difficulty of reversing steamand gas-turbines, for such power applications as require a quick and easy reversibility (for instance, for seagoing vessels or vehicles, lifting machines, loadraising machines, etc), the use of turbines is connected with serious objections. In most of these cases, as, for instance, in applying steam-turbines to vessels, it is necessary to provide special steam-turbines for backward motion. The various attempts which have been made to construct a steam-turbine reversible in itself have so far not produced a simple and safely working turbine as a solution of this problem.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved steam-turbine in which the action of the steam against the vanes or buckets is controlled, and which is reversible in a simple and reliable manner.

The essential improvements of the new construction consist in that, instead of having the steam-nozzles stationary and the bucket-wheel rotatable, as is usually the case, two or more steam-nozzles are mounted upon hollow arms mounted radially on the turbine-shaft. Said nozzles are capable of oscillation about the longitudinal axis of said arms so as to cooperate with one or the other of two series of bucket-rings arranged on the inner surfaces of opposite side-walls of each pressure-chamber. Said hollow arms are mounted on the shaft in such a manner that by manipulating the shaft in a certain way the arms may be oscillated so as to bring the nozzles into cooperation with either system of bucket-rings. The bucket-rings of the two systems are oppositely arranged so that the arms will rotate in one or the other direction according as the nozzles are brought into cooperative relation with one or the other system of bucket-rings, so that the reversal of the turbine is obtained by oscillating the nozzle-carrying arms. Located within the hollow arms are mechanisms for adjusting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11, 1908.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Serial No. 426,551.

the nozzles, and these mechanisms are also operated from the turbineeshaft.

The eflective working of a steam-turbine constructed according to this invention can I be considerably increased by having short segments of buckets, which are shaped so as to correspond with the bucket-rings on the side-walls of the pressure-chambers, oscillate simultaneously with the steam-nozzles about the supporting arms for the latter so that said segments may be brought into cooperative relation with one or the other of the oppositely arranged bucket-systems, whereby the reaction effect in both directions is augmerited.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a horizontal three-stage steamturbine constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical longi tudinal section of Fig. 1 drawn on a larger scale, with parts at the end of the turbine omitted, Fig. 3 is an end-view of the turbine looking from the left of Fig. 1 and showing the controlling slide and its adjacent parts, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section, showing the interior of one of the pressure-chambers and the nozzle-carrying arms arranged therein, Fig. 5 is a similar section taken through the hollow nozzlecarrying arms, Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views showing the form and arrangement of the controlling slide, and Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the adjusting mechanism for the nozzles.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A denotes the casing of the turbine which is of the horizontal three-stage type, having three pressurechambers 14, 15, 16. The improved turbine has a compound shaft which is made partly solid, partly tubular, and partly provided with channels, and which in the construction shown in the drawing is formed of four parts or sections a, b, c and d (Fig. 2).

The turbine-shaft turns in two journal-bearsection. The nozzle-carrying arms g, h, i are provided at their inner ends with bevel gear-wheels m, n, 0 which mesh with bevel gear-wheels m,, m 0 which are concentrically rotatable in the hubs.

In the shaft (1, b, 0, (Z are arranged two concentric spindles, a hollow one 10 and asolid one as best shown in Fig. 8. The spindle p is provided with collars r, s, t which are provided on their circumference with screw.- threads of high pitch and which are fitted into the bored out hubs of the bevel wheels m, n, 0 which are provided with corresponding threads. split rings a, '0, w by means of keys that are passed through the same. These rings are also provided on their circumference with screw-threads of high pitch' and fitted into the bores of the hubs of the slide-pieces w, y, 2, shown in Fig, 8, in which the corresponding female thread is located; The slide-pieces are rotatable at the interior of the shaft, but not longitudinally shiftable along the same.

In the hollow nozzle-supporting arms g, h, 'i are located rods 1, 2, 3 which are shiftable along the arms and which are provided at their inner ends with forks, the bolts of which are arranged shiftably in the eccentric guides of the slide-pieces :13, y, 2 (Fig. 8). In the outer ends of the rods 1, 2, 3 are located rotatable heels 4, 5, 6 which operate the shifting rods 7, 8, 9 of the nozzles in centrifugal or centripetal direction, whereby larger or smaller cross-sections of the nozzle-openings are obtained.

The spindle p is prevented from rotating by the keys 1Q. It can only be shifted in axial direction by means of the steam-piston 11 which is located in the steam-cylinder 12. The spindle Q can likewise be shifted only in axial direction by means of the handwheel 13 and the screw-thread on the hub of the same. The spindle 10 serves for reversing the turbine'and thespindle g for enlarging or diminishing the outlet cross areas of the nozzles. Both spindles are rotated with the engine-shaft a, b, c, d, and these with the nozzle-supporting arms are rotatable in the stationary turbine-chambers 14, 15, 16. On the flat inner surfaces of the side-walls of the turbine-chambers are arranged two guidebucket systems 17, 18, 19 for turning towards the right and two guide-bucket systems 20, 21, 22 on the opposite side-walls for turning towards the left. On each nozzlecarrying arm are located under the nozzle two bucket-segments 23, 24, 25, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. These segments consists each of a few buckets which take up the steam-jet that is delivered by the nozzle and conduct the same, and which by an oscillation of the nozzle-carrying arm for 180 are moved from the position between the guidebucket systems 17 18 and 19 without outlet To the spindle g are fastened engine- At both ends of the two controlling cylin ders 12 and 28 are arranged double pipe connections d Q12, (1,, v d '0 d, '0 They are connected by means of thin pipes with similarly designated ports on the controlling slide (Fig. 6). The controlling slide is located sidewise of the turbine in convenient proximity thereto and is operated by means of a hand-wheel 29 and the screw-spindle of the same. The port d on the controlling slide is connected with the steamsupply pipe by means of a pipe and likewise in the same manner by a port v, with the vacuum-chamber of the turbine.

The operation of the turbine is as follows: The steam enters through the opening 30 a radial channel 31 and a few axial channels 32 into the first hollow section a of the engineshaft; from the same it passes to the two nozzle-carrying arms 9 into the nozzle-housing and through the lower, laterally arranged nozzle-exits, shown in Figs. 2 and 5, into the turbine-chamber 14 in which a lower pressure is present than in the nozzle-carrying arms g, so that by the reaction of the steam-jet on the wall opposite to the nozzle-openings, the noz zle-carrying arms are rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of the steam-jet. The steam is emitted from the nozzle with a velocity which is dependent on the pressure phase of the same. This velocity is utilized in such a manner that the steam-jets are taken up by stationary guide-buckets and repeatedly conducted to the buckets that are fastened on the nozzle-carrying arms, once or twice in succession, until the velocity of the same in the first pressure stage is utilized, so that the steam is expanded between the buckets. The steam then passes between the angular-shaped channels 33 and is conducted into the cavity in the shaft-section b,

from the same into the nozzle-arms 7t, nozzle-housing k, and from the nozzle-shaped openings in the same to the second turbinechamber 15 in which the pressure is lower than in the nozzle-carrying arms it. By the reaction during the outlet of the steam the nozzle-arms h are rotated in the same direction as the arms 9, whereby the steam-jets are conducted through the guide and main buckets in the same manner as in the first turbine-chamber in radial centrifugal direc tion so as to accomplish work until the velocity of the same is fully utilized and the steam expanded to the next lower pressure. From the second turbine-chamber the steam is conducted through the angular channels 34 to the opening of the shaft-section c and from the same to the arms i, the nozzle-housings 1 and the nozzle-shaped outlets of the same to the third turbine-chamber 16, which is at lowest pressure. In the chamber 16 the velocity of the steam-jets is utilized in the same manner as in the two preceding chambers, after which the fully expanded steam is conducted through the openings 35 into the condenser. In consequence of the diminishing or enlargement of the cross-sectional areas of the nozzle-openings in all nozzles simultaneously by means of the mechanism arranged for this purpose which is operated by the handwheel 13, smaller or larger quantities of steam are emitted under the same pressure proportions between the individual pressure stages so that smaller or larger rotary velocities of the turbines are obtained and the effective force of the turbine is correspondingly changed.

The reversal of the turbine is effected by actuating the steam-piston 11 within the cylinder 12 in such a manner that the spindle p is shifted longitudinally. In this manner through their connections with said spindle the hollow nozzle-supporting arms are turned on their axes through 180, carrying with them their steam-nozzles and bucket-segments, so that said nozzles and segments are brought into cooperation with the bucket system arranged on the opposite side-wall of each pressure-chamber. l/Vhen the nozzles are to be adjusted the spindle Q is actuated by the handwheel 13 as before described, whereupon, through their connections through said spindle, the nozzle-adjusting rods 1, 2, 3 will be actuated in such a manner as to increase or decrease the effective cross area of the nozzles. Thus the reversal of the turbine and the adjustment of the steam-nozzles are both effected by the longitudinal movement of spindles arranged within the hollowturbineshaft. The automatic interruption of the steam during the reversal is effected through the connections between the steam-cylinder 28 with the controlling slide, as has already been explained. When the piston 11 in the cylinder 12 is operated upon by the steam so as to shift the spindle p and reverse the turbine, connection with the cylinder 28, is made in such a manner through the controlling slide that the slide 27 on the piston 26 moves across and closes the inlet 30 for the live steam.

The steam pressure and the vacuum are sustained against the atmosphere between the turbine-chambers by the doubly divided labyrinth packings 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. The proper distance between the ring surfaces of the engine-shaft and the ring surfaces of the doubly divided packings is regulated and fixed by corresponding forked levers 41, 42, 43, 44, and by bolts 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, as shown in the drawing. The levers and bolts take up also the side pressure of the steam on the face surfaces of the packings. The proper distance of the turbine-chambers from each other is retained by the intermediate pipes 51, 52. The free expansive capacity of the turbine-shaft by the heat is obtained in such a manner that the shaft is only secured against side-shifting in the journal-bearings but it is movable in axial direction in the j ournal-bearings a. 53 represents one member of the coupling by which the power is transmitted to the shaft connected with the outer end of the turbine-shaft. In turbines with a simple constant number of rotations the reversing mechanism is dispensed with, likewise the guide-bucket system is in the turbine-chambers on one side and the automatic steam throttling. The spindle q for the adjustment of the cross-sections of the nozzle-openings is in this case, in place of the hand-wheel 13, subjected to the action of a regulator which shifts it to and fro.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket systems arranged on opposite side-walls thereof, a shaft rotatable in said chamber, a nozzle-carrying arm mounted on said shaft within said chamber, and means for turning said arm to bring it into cooperative relation with either bucket system.

2. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressLire-chamber, bucketaings on opposite side-walls, a shaft, and a nozzle-carrying arm on said shaft mounted to turn on its longitudinal axis between said bucket rings.

3. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket-rings on opposite sidewalls, a shaft, and a hollow nozzlecarrying arm through which the steam is conducted mounted on said shaft to turn on rings.

4. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket-rings mounted on opposite side-walls, a shaft, an arm mounted radially on said shaft between saidv bucket-rings, a nozzle on said arm, and means inclosed by the shaft to turn said arm.

5. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket-rings mounted on opposite side-walls, a shaft, an arm mounted radially on said shaft between said bucket-rings, a nozzle on said arm, anda spindle inclosed by the shaft to turn said arm.

6. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket-rings mounted on opposite side-walls, a shaft, an arm mounted radially on said shaft between said. bucket-rings, a nozzle on said arm, a spindle inclosed by the shaft to turn said arm, and a steam-cylinder and piston to operate said spindle.

7. In a steam-turbine, the combination of its longitudinal axis between said bucket-' a pressure-chamber having oppositely arranged bucket systems, a shaft, an oscillating arm mounted on said shaft between said systems, a nozzle carried by said. arm to imm e the steam a ainst said buckets and p n e bucket-segments also carried by said arm.

8. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber having oppositely arranged bucket-rings, a shaft, nozzle-carrying arms mounted on said shaft between said bucket-rings at an angle of 180 with respect to each other, and means to turn said arms about their longitudinal axes in order to bring their nozzles into cooperation with the bucket-rings at one orthe other side thereof.

9. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressurechamber having bucket-rings on opposite side-walls, a shaft passing through said chamber, and arms mounted on said shaft within said chamber and carrying nozzles movable into cooperation with the bucket-rings on either wall.

10. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber having oppositely arranged bucket-rings on opposite side-walls, hollow arms mounted to rotate in said chamber about a common axis, means for conducting the steam to the interior of said arms, nozzles carried by the arms at their outer ends, bucket-segments carried by the arms to fit between the buckets of the bucketrings and receive the steam from the nozzles, and means for turning said arms about their longitudinal axes whereby said nozzles and segments are brought into cooperation with one or the other set of bucket-rings.

11. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with the hollow arms and the nozzles carried thereby, of adjusting mechanism for the nozzles housed within said arms.

12. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a shaft, a hollow arm mounted thereon, a nozzle at the outer end of said arm, adjusting mechanism for the nozzle housed within the arm, and means in connection with said shaft to operate said adjusting mechanism.

13. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a shaft, a hollow arm mounted thereon, a nozzle at the outer end of said arm, adjusting mechanism for the nozzle housed within the arm, and means comprising a spindle ini I l I closed by said shaft for operating said adjusting mechanism.

14. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a shaft, a hollow arm mounted radially thereon, a nozzle at the outer end of said arm, a rod within said arm to adjust said nozzle, a spindle inclosed by the shaft, an operative connection between said spindle and said rod, and actuating mechanism for said spindle.

15. In a steam-turbine, the combination of a pressure-chamber, bucket-rings mounted on both side-walls thereof, a shaft in said chamber, arms on said shaft through which the steam is conducted, bucket-segments on said arms, and means for turning said arms to move said segments into cooperation with the bucket-rings on either sidewall.

16. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with the reversing mechanism comprising a cylinder 12 and a piston 11 within the same, of a cylinder 28 and piston 26 to control the admission of steam to the turbine, and the automatic connection between said cylinders whereby the steam is shut off during the reversal of the turbine.

17. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with the reversing mechanism embodying a spindle shiftable longitudinally within the shaft, a cylinder 12, and a piston 11 within said cylinder operatively connected with said spindle, of means to control the admission of steam to the turbine, and an automatic connection between said cylinder 12 and said controlling means whereby during the reversal of the turbine the admission ,of steam is discontinued.

18. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with thepressure-chambers and the shaft passing through the same and having grooved portions between the pressurechambers, of labyrinth packings in said grooves, pivoted levers fixed to said packings, and bolts for adjusting said levers.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAN PROCNER.

IVitnesses HERNANDO DE So'ro, IVITOLD FUcI-Is. 

